* the creator Brian Fies reports from the comics and medicine conference in Baltimore.

* this used to be a big weekend for comics shows as they were traditionally set up years and years ago, as the holiday weekend was seen as a help to get people to spend some time doing a few things in air condition as opposed to a barrier to attacting the maximum crowds. SuperCon in Florida carries on the holiday weekend tradition.

* Comic-Con International is where most of the focus is right now, and here's THE BIG MAP. I'm looking forward to this year's show. Lot of good cartoonists and comics-makers on hand.

* this list of Wizard shows are staggering. These aren't bad things in and of themselves -- I don't like them or their shoddy, "pop culture" driven experience with its gouging and overall sad feel -- but I guess some folks really, really, really do. Even some comics folks I know feel more welcome at their Wizard show than they do at their regional small-press affair. Don't get me wrong, though: I think the overall effect is a bad one. Wizard shows often poison better shows and damage the idea of comics conventions more generally. It's actually sort of helpful to have a big list for some of the smaller shows to negotiate. At some point they are going to have to be profitable or someone is going to have to buy them for this to work.